The present disclosure relates to respiratory therapy devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to hand-held respiratory therapy devices used for positive expiratory pressure (PEP) therapy.
Hand-held devices used for PEP therapy are known. One known example is the ACAPELLA® Vibratory PEP Therapy System device marketed by Smiths Industries ASD, Inc. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,699,054; 7,059,324; 6,776,159; and 6,581,598 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0078383. Examples of standard or non-oscillatory PEP therapy devices are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,848,443; 6,557,549; 6,083,141; 5,910,071; and 5,890,998. Patients desiring both oscillatory (or vibratory) PEP therapy and standard PEP therapy, therefore, need to have access to both types of devices. Some of the prior art PEP therapy devices include a port for coupling to a nebulizer container. However, during patient exhalation, the nebulized medication is lost to the atmosphere in some prior art devices.
What is needed, therefore, is a single device that has the capability of both standard and oscillatory PEP therapy and that, optionally, includes a nebulizer container connector that inhibits or minimizes the loss of nebulized medication to the atmosphere during patient exhalation. Such a device should be easy to use and packaged in a fairly compact manner so as to be hand-held.